


getaway car

by Super_Danvers



Category: Snowpiercer (TV 2020)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Freeze, Sapphic, bennett knox - Freeform, melanie x audrey, melanie x miss audrey, melaudrey, snowpiercer - Freeform, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29344170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Danvers/pseuds/Super_Danvers
Summary: Melanie and Miss Audrey steal Snowpiercer.
Relationships: Melanie Cavill/Miss Audrey, Miss Audrey/Melanie Cavill
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. get up

**Author's Note:**

> This is unheard of. A MULTI-chapter??! From moi?! I'm also gonna be writing some zaudrey so brace for THAT but anyways, this is how melaudrey stole snowpiercer - because i said so.

“Audrey! Audrey, wake up!”

Audrey groaned as her shoulder was roughly shaken against the wall of her bunk. She was still asleep, and warmly curled up in her bed and so, was not pleased about the rude awakening. She wasn’t a heavy sleeper, per se, but she liked it as much as the next person and didn’t enjoy being woken up: person or alarm or otherwise. She attempted to swat her arm out, but to no use. Whoever was poking her was doing it quite insistently. Audrey peeked an eye open. The light at the bottom of her bunk was on and lit the face of Melanie, who was leaning over her and shoving her shoulders with both hands.

“You need to get up. Now.” She hissed.

Audrey opened her other eye and squinted through the sleepiness. Melanie was inches from her face, her expression a picture of fear and desperation. She was wearing her MIT hoodie with her huge overcoat on top of it and was hurriedly shoving some sort of similar coat at Audrey’s face.

“Audrey, get up! We need to go!” She whispered again; her voice urgent.

“Huh? What? What’s the matter?” Audrey held onto Melanie’s shoulders and opened her eyes properly. Melanie was terrified. She started hurrying around the little room like a maniac, shoving items into two suitcases by the door. Both of them were marked with the golden ‘W’. Wilford’s cases. Clothes, pictures, notes, anything she could grab went in. Audrey sat up. “What are you doing?”

Melanie threw another shirt at Audrey. “We don’t have time. Come on!”

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Melanie turned, grabbing Audrey’s wrist tightly. “The train is leaving and its leaving now and it will go without us if you don’t get the fuck up and help me.” She explained, her tone low and deadly as if someone other than Audrey was listening.

Audrey frowned. “Snowpiercer isn’t set to depart for another three weeks. Wilford is setting off early?”

“Wilford isn’t coming.”

“What?”

Melanie let go of Audrey’s wrist and padded to the desk opposite her bed. She reached up to the shelf where Audrey kept all her books and plucked out a photograph that had been hidden in the pages of Frank Herbert’s _Dune._ She studied it for a few seconds, smiled wistfully, and then put it in her pocket. She turned back to Audrey, her picture serious and calculated.

“Wilford will get us all killed. All he cares about are tickets and having his name in lights like he’s some god eternal. You heard his last night, Audrey. He doesn’t care about us or humanity or anything at all. Only himself. We’ll all die under his rule.” Melanie glanced at the door. “I put sleeping pills in his tea. He won’t wake up until after we’re gone.”

Audrey shot to her feet. “You did what?!”

Melanie stooped and zipped up the suitcases. “Well, I didn’t have time to find arsenic. I just…didn’t think about it. I just did it. I put it in his wine. He’ll be out for at least a few more hours. Plenty of time to get on the train and depart Chicago. By that time he won’t be able to catch us.”

Audrey pulled on the coat and clothes, wrapping herself up warm. “You’re crazy. Fucking crazy.” She hissed, also starting to feel like they were being watched. “What about the rest of the crew? The passengers? Fuck, Melanie, what about _Alex_?”

“I’ve already notified the others. They think Wilford’s already onboard. An emergency call has been sent out to passengers to get them on the train. I told them due to unforeseen circumstances the train is leaving early and whoever gets there, gets there. It’ll only be a small loss, there’s plenty of pickups along the country we need to do. New York would be our biggest loss if we missed them. Chicago is only three-hundred passengers.”

“Stop talking like that.” Audrey snapped. “You sound like him. They’re people, Melanie.”

Melanie quietened, and then nodded. “You’re right. Sorry. Fuck.” She went to the door, checked out into the hallway, then nodded again. “C’mon. Coast is clear.”

The pair headed into the hallway. They’d been living in the Wilford building for the past week in preparation for Snowpiercer’s departure. So much had needed doing and it was more convenient if both of them stayed close to work rather than miles away where the weather could strike at any moment. Audrey hadn’t enjoyed it and Alex even less, heading to live with Melanie’s parents after the third day. Audrey couldn’t really blame the ten-year-old for not liking it. She wouldn’t have exactly been over the moon if she was cooped up in a room all day where she couldn’t see her mother because she was working or couldn’t play with other kids her age because there weren’t any in this giant, concrete block. Audrey tugged at Melanie’s sleeve.

“What about Alex?” She whispered. “Is she on the train?”

They rounded a corner. The hallway was still empty, but Melanie was checking over her shoulder every five seconds as if Wilford would appear at any moment. She glanced at Audrey.

“I’ve sent a car for her. She’ll be on Snowpiercer before we are.”

“Does anybody else know about this? About what you’re doing?” Audrey sensed Melanie’s pause and knew the answer. She let out a bitter laugh. “Of course, fucking Ben knows.”

“Don’t start-“

“What? Did he put the pills in the wine for you? Was it his idea?”

They rounded another corner, nearing the elevator down to the station. Audrey knew her words were annoying Melanie but it hurt to know she had told the man who had been stepping in Audrey’s shoes at every turn before she’d told her. Deep down, she had nothing against Ben but she was envious of his closeness to Melanie.

Melanie stopped before the door, pressing the button and turning to Audrey. With complete seriousness and a light tone, she spoke:

“I told Ben before you because I knew he would have a better way of explaining it to the rest of the staff than I would. He also does not have you or Alex to worry about. I told him so he could organise everybody else whilst I prioritise my family. Regardless of his feelings for me, I still would’ve told him first, Audrey. I’d rather have an angry you than a dead you.”

Audrey scowled. “I hate when you’re right, you know that?”

Melanie smiled and leaned forward, capturing Audrey in a brief kiss before the elevator doors opened with a faint _ding!_

“Come on,” Melanie said, taking Audrey’s hand tightly and stepping into the elevator. “Most of our stuff is already on the train, but it’s nothing without us on there.”

Audrey raised an eyebrow. “How long have you been organising everything?”

“About five hours.” Melanie said with a shrug. “I waited until Wilford stopped bragging and went to bed, then told Ben and sent out emails and since then I’ve been helping load things up.”

“And nobody’s told Wilford?”

“They think he’s sleeping on the train. Preparing for his big departure speech and all his theatrics is what I’m hoping they’ll put it down to.”

“And what if Wilford wakes up between now and say, thirty minutes away?”

Melanie looked at Audrey. “He won’t stand a chance between his bedroom and the crowds out there.” She made a grim smile. “Hell, _we’ll_ be lucky to get on there. Hold onto my hand, I don’t want us to get separated.”

Audrey squeezed her hand, reassuring her that she wouldn’t let go. “Melanie?”

“Mm?”

“Are you scared?”

Melanie was quiet for a second: mulling the question over with a fine crease between her brows. After a moment, her eyes turned back to Audrey. “Yes. Terrified, actually. But I know I’d be much more scared if I was doing this alone.” She squeezed Audrey’s hand tightly as the elevator bell announced their arrival on the ground floor. “Hold on tight.”


	2. stand and watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has been left behind.

Melanie had been right. The crowd outside was more like the scene of a riot: people were everywhere. Shouts and screams filled the air as hordes of people shoved each other to try and get onto the train. Melanie’s hand was like iron around Audrey’s as she dragged her through the crowds. It was so cold out here. The falling snow was more like a blizzard, coming down so hard that Audrey could barely see Melanie in front of her. People were slipping on ice and charging through the drifts in blind panic. Lines had been set up on the cars and thankfully for them, the staff line was practically empty. Audrey knew that wouldn’t be for long when people without tickets would start to storm it. She didn’t know how they’d managed to get here so quickly even though most passengers had moved closer to the train to be ready for departure.

Through the madness, Audrey caught glimpses of the great Engine ahead of her. Snowpiercer, only at ninety-four cars here, still looked like a giant tower to her. Its metal gleamed under the lights and the huge silver ‘W’ had been polished so proficiently that Audrey could see her own reflection in it. The train would be picking up more of its cars in the cities it was going to be stopping in and even Audrey knew it was going to be a bloodbath for other passengers to get on. The world was freezing over and the entire world had realised too late. Snowpiercer was their only hope.

“Mel! Over here!”

Bennett’s voice brought Audrey out of her thoughts and back into reality. He was hanging out one of Snowpiercer’s doors, leaning one arm out for Melanie to grab hold. She hauled hers and Audrey’s suitcases up to him whilst Audrey stared at the crowd. They were cramming forward, the boundary lines crushed and forgotten beneath their feet. Their shouts were deafening and Audrey had to fight not to cover her ears.

_“Let us through!”_

_“Hey! Stop pushing in!”_

An old man amongst the rioters fell to the ground and immediately disappeared beneath their feet. Nobody offered to help him up.

_“We’re all going to die – they’re not going to let us on!”_

_“Open the fucking doors!”_

Audrey felt someone tugging at her hand. When she looked at Melanie’s bewildered face she knew she must be crying because she never cried in front of her. She shook her head, unable to close her mouth in the horror she was witnessing. Melanie tugged at her hand again.

“Audrey, we have to go! There’s nothing we can do!” She shouted above the noise.

Bennett reached out for Melanie’s hand. “Get on the train, take my hand!”

Audrey couldn’t move. Her feet felt frozen to the ground. She couldn’t feel her toes inside her boots nor could she feel Melanie pulling at her arm. She couldn’t hear anything either: it was like her world had gone numb. She stared out at the scene.

Snowpiercer’s doors were sliding shut. Those left on the platform pushed up against the train, banging their fists on the doors and pleading to be let in. Some took notice of Bennett shouting for Melanie to get on the train and spotted their open door of opportunity. It was just before a blonde woman reached Audrey that strong arms wrapped around her waist and practically threw her into Snowpiercer’s boarding bay. She landed on a suitcase and was quickly helped up by Melanie, who was right behind her. Audrey looked over her shoulder as Bennett reboarded the train and slammed the door shut behind him, narrowly missing the blonde woman’s fingers. Audrey could hear her screaming, even after Snowpiercer started to pull away from the station.

“What is wrong with you?” Bennett exasperated, running a hand through his hair. “For God’s sake, why didn’t you _move_?”

“Not now, Ben.” Melanie warned. “Why don’t you go and sit with Javi? I’m sure he’s stressing out more than you are.”

“But-“

“That is an order, Mr Knox.”

Bennett made some kind of reserved glare, then sauntered off so Melanie could turn her attention to Audrey, who had pressed her face up against the window to watch their departure. She was so close against it that her breath was fogging up the window.

“Audrey?” Melanie pried gently.

“They’re running.”

“What?”

Audrey stepped back from the window. She pointed to it. “They’re running alongside the train.” Audrey wasn’t sure when she started crying but the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks now. “We should never have left. We could’ve gotten more onboard.”

“Audrey-“

“Don’t try and deny it. Leaving without Wilford isn’t worth killing all those people out there.” She snapped. “Now we’re stuck on this train without even a proper goodbye to the world we live in.”

Audrey could barely look at Melanie. Anger bubbled in her veins like a volcano about to boil over and erupt. Instead, she turned her back and faced the door that would take her down train.

“You’ve probably got a lot of work to do.”

“I do.”

Audrey could hear the hurt in her voice. She’d done that. “How far is it to your car?”

“It’s two cars down. First door on the right.”

Audrey palmed the door and left without another word. If she looked over her shoulder she’d start crying and she wouldn’t be able to keep up her anger a second longer. She didn’t even know what she was angry about. Leaving all those people? Melanie? Wilford? She couldn’t think straight.

The cars leading down to their new home were in chaos. Up here were the First-Class passengers, the people both Audrey and Melanie had been making nice to for the last six months, scrambling to find their families and their luggage. Ruth, one of the Hospitality stewardesses, was stood at a podium with a list in her arms and doing her best to keep order while she called out names ticked them off. Whenever she called out a name and there was so answer, Audrey could’ve a pin drop.

She did her best to slip through the crowd unnoticed, not wanting to offer any help right now. Another name went unticked and a family consisting of an elderly couple and a young boy burst into tears. Their daughter hadn’t made it and now the boy was an orphan. Audrey tried to look away as the grandmother reached out to her, knowing that woman’s death would be on her conscious for the rest of her life. As she reached the door, Audrey wondered for a brief moment if that woman had been the blonde they’d shut the door on. Even if it hadn’t been, it was now. Audrey palmed the pad, and hurried on.

Seeing Alex would make her feel better. Although Audrey hated to admit it, mostly to herself, but she was quite fond of the kid. She was like Melanie, only more fun. Life hadn’t quite snuck up on her yet and stripped her of joy and it was like she wanted to be friends with everybody with the way she smiled at them. Audrey just needed to see her, to know she was alright. That would make her feel better.

The second car was just as chaotic, filled with panicking passengers and arguing Brakemen. As Audrey pushed down the corridor, she spotted Lead Brakeman Roche speaking with a trainee who barely looked old enough to be out of college. The trainee, a handsome blonde, was staring at the swarming passengers with a traumatised look on her face and her feet frozen in the doorway. Audrey recognised her – probably from one of Wilford’s galas – but couldn’t remember her name or her rank. She didn’t have to guess why she was scared because everybody else on the train was feeling the same thing. Grief, loss, doom – it was just a matter of picking one.

Audrey carried on, not far from her car now. It was quieter down here. Still packed with people but not so many that Audrey didn’t have elbow room. Here, she could hear muttered conversations and could actually pick up on what they were saying.

_“There’s people in the Tail section! They haven’t paid!”_

_“How can there be people down there? I heard it’s only storage.”_

_“Why should they get to live?”_

_“They won’t last long down there.”_

Audrey pretended not to hear them, not wanting to hear more screams of those left out in the cold. She’d be hearing them for years and she didn’t want to start now.

The room was empty. A three-bedroom apartment with a balcony and dark green drapes (Audrey’s choice) was eerily empty as the door slid shut behind Audrey. Four suitcases, each marked with labels, sat in the middle. Three big ones, one little one. Audrey approached it, frowning. The small one was about the height of her knee, and on its label, the name ‘Allie Cavill’ had been scrawled with pink pen. The other two had Melanie’s parents’ names printed on. None of the suitcases had been touched in some time and it seemed they hadn’t been put there by the Cavills. Audrey looked up to the balcony.

“Alex?” She called out. “Alex, sweetheart, are you here?”

There was no reply. Audrey’s frown deepened, and she started to walk around the main room. There were passes on the bar beneath the balcony. Well, two were passes and one was a chip, all of them marked with the First-Class Wilford stamp. These were also untouched. A Wilford Industries welcome letter sat in the fruit bowl, unopened. Audrey left it alone and looked back around.

“Eleanor? John? Are you guys here?”

No response. Although Audrey was a rational thinker, she couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in her heart. It was probable that they were just on another part of the train and trying to find the apartment, but in Audrey’s heart she _knew_. She knew they weren’t on the train. Melanie’s parents were sensible people and regardless of their feelings for Melanie, they would do anything for their only granddaughter. Audrey knew they weren’t the type to board the train wrong but she’d also seen the chaos at the station and knew it was entirely possible they’d been lost in the crush. Christ, they could be amongst the people who’d ended up in the Tail section.

“Hello?” Audrey called out one more time. Some part of her wanted to be wrong so Alex was alive and just lost on the train somewhere. “Alex! Alex, darling, I need you to come out now! Hiding isn’t funny!”

There was still nothing. As Audrey started to head for the door again, it opened. Melanie, now dressed in her engineer’s uniform, stepped into the room. Audrey didn’t have to tell her. She saw how Melanie’s eyes moved around the apartment, to the suitcases, to the unopened welcome letter, to the passes on the bar and figured it out for herself. Silence filled the air. Even the sound of Snowpiercer’s wheels went quiet as Melanie’s brain worked. Her emotions broke for a split second, just a second where her entire face went slack and her eyes widened in realisation, but it was gone as quickly as it came. It hardened into seriousness and she turned on her heel, heading for the door.

“Mel-!”

“She’s just lost. Just stay here. She might find her way. I won’t let him take her away from me.” She snapped, practically throwing the door open and disappearing down the corridor.

Audrey followed her. “Melanie, stop!”

“She’s on the fucking train, Audrey, I know it!”

Audrey could only stand and watch helplessly as Melanie vanished from sight. She felt awful. Every part of her was telling her Alex wasn’t on the train and yet she knew she had to look. Melanie was going to search the entire train herself in every nook and cranny until she found her daughter. She didn’t care if she drove herself crazy: Melanie would find Alex even if it killed her. And, of course, Audrey could only stand and watch.


End file.
